February 2026 - Peru

Kyle and I were really excited to cross another World Wonder off the bucket list and go to Peru in February.  Our friends and neighbors, Bobby and Emily Beagley, got passports for the first time and invited us to join them with a tour group.  I have now been able to see Chichen Itza (Mexico), Colosseum (Italy), Machu Picchu (Peru), and the Great Pyramids (Egypt - Ancient Wonder of the World).  We still have the Taj Majal, Great Wall of China, Petra, and Christ the Redeemer to get to someday.  Todd/Melissa and Mike were wonderful to watch our kids while we were gone.  We are so grateful!

Day 1: Lima. We spent Valentine's Day walking around the city, Kyle went for a swim in the ocean, and we ended the night with a food tour.  The food tour included local fruit and chocolate, empanadas, beef hearts (which were delicious!), lomo saltado stir fry, causa, ceviche, a famous bar with pisco sours (we got fresh passionfruit juice that was amazing), herbal tea, and ice cream.  We learned that Lima has some of the best food in the world and won Global Restaurant of the Year in 2023 and 2025 with two separate establishments.  There is a lot of Japanese-Peruvian fusion due to a labor agreement with Japan in 1899, and everywhere we went there was amazing fresh produce and flavors.  They have over 4,000 different types of potatoes!  We stayed in the Miraflores district but my favorite part of Lima to walk through was the Barranco art district with lots of beautiful murals and mosaics.  We got terribly sunburned the first day thanks to our pasty winter skin.  

Day 2: Lima. The next day was a historic city tour including the Santo Domingo Convent and Plaza de Armas. One of our group members--an elderly man who spoke no English--wandered from the group and it took hours to find him in downtown Lima.  The architecture in Lima was really pretty.  Lots of beautiful facades and wood balconies that were open to the sea.  They also have statues of women all over the city with only one eye showing, which is apparently a symbol of female empowerment.  We ended the day with a tour of the catacombs under Lima.  

The ceilings around most courtyards (outside) were very ornate wood that was puzzle-pieced together 

Day 3: Travel to Cusco. It was a short 1.5 hour flight from Lima (coast) to Cusco (mountains) but then a 3-hour bus ride to the Sacred Valley from the airport. We stopped at an alpaca / llama / guinea pig farm on the way and learned how they make vibrant colors using native plants and minerals.  Cusco was the former Inca capital so there is a lot of history.  We absolutely loved our accommodations at Villa Urubamba in the Sacred Valley.  It was a quiet little area tucked up against the mountains. I could have stayed there forever!  We also had our favorite meal on the whole trip next to the villa.  We were walking a beautiful garden path in the village and stopped and asked a local in Spanish where we should grab dinner.  They recommended a nearby restaurant where we found that they grew everything in a massive garden on site.  We watched the chef go out and cut fresh herbs and vegetables for our meal.  I definitely felt the altitude in Cusco, but the local Muna mint tea worked wonders.  

Day 4: Machu Picchu! We took a 1.5 hr bus ride to the train station, a 1.5 hr train ride, and then another 30 minute bus ride to the entrance.  The other way to access it is a 6-day hike from Cusco on the Incan Trail, which our tour guide said he had done over 60 times and that he knew every rock on that sacred trail.  He highly recommended we come back and do Machu Picchu the right way by hiking in.  We got to stay at MP until closing so the crowds cleared and we had a lot of spaces to ourselves.  We intentionally went to Peru in the off (rainy) season so crowds and costs were lower.  MP was built in the 1400s as an estate for the Incan emperor.  The dry-stone architecture and precise placement of 50+ ton rocks is incredible.  There was a cute family from Atlanta in our tour group and we were seated next to them on most bus / train rides so we had fun playing games with their two boys.  There was a little cultural reenactment of an Incan princess and her forbidden love on the train ride back.  

Day 5: Sacred Valley. We toured the valley, met some crazy donkeys, hiked 200 steps to the top of the Ollantaytambo ruins that back up to the Amazon, visited Nuestra Senora de Monserrat Church, visited the Chinchero Andean archeological site, and Moray concentric agricultural terraces with various climates and soil types designed for specific items. 

Day 6: Cusco. We toured Plaza de Armas and the Cusco Cathedral, where the main altar is made of 2,755 lb of silver and there is a 60-lb 1.2 meter gold vessel embedded with over 1,500 diamonds and hundreds of precious stones.  Everywhere we turned there were extremely ornate gold and silver statues and altars, as well as 14 side chapels inside of the one cathedral.  We also toured the Dominican church now in the place of the original main Incan temple, Coricancha.  We climbed 300 steps to get to the Cristo Blanco statue at the top of the city and thought the steps would never end.  We ended the night with a Dinner Show complete with great food, live Peruvian music, and dancing.  

Day 7: We flew from Cusco back to Lima, tried some fried guinea pig for dinner, and then took a red eye flight home.  

Other happenings in February:

• Michelle hosted a Ludlow Galentine's Day party.  Everyone brought 3 of their favorite things for a gift exchange.  Alexa and I brought mugs, tea, and honey sticks. 
• Tyler turned 13!  He wanted to watch Dungeons and Dragons for his party and requested a Magic the Gathering Avatar card set.  
• Nathan made a cute penguin at school that was on display
• The boys made fun boxes for Valentine's Day.  Tad made a Nintendo Switch, Nathan made Sonic, and Liam made an Arch-Illager from Minecraft